M Ljin wrote:Non-permie family veto. Also worry about pipes freezing without a hot-air system.
No wonder I feel so nasty in the house, we’ve had toxic levels of carbon monoxide… sadly no chance of changing this, but I can change some things which is good.
No chance of changing toxic carbin monoxide levels? Ackk! Can you move/open windows. This sounds bad.
There are different types, which are best prepared differently:
European & American are great roasted quickly at high temperatures, after cutting through the shell.
Chinese chestnuts are starchier, typically, and best roasted slowly at low temperatures, without cutting the shell.
Below is James Nave's Chinese chestnut cooking guide:
Brian
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How to Cook Chinese Chestnuts – J. M. Nave
If you have some favorite way of cooking Chinese chestnuts, I'm not trying to change that. I'm just trying to show people how you can best bring out the flavors of Chinese nuts and get better textures. Cooking Chinese nuts the same way you would cook European or American nuts is not optimal because Chinese nuts are much denser. And if you are cooking Chinese nuts optimally, you don't need to cut the shell. Low and slow is the optimal way to cook Chinese chestnuts.
The most interesting way, and most common way, to cook chestnuts in China is to roast chestnuts at low temperatures (240F or less) for extended periods of time (60 minutes or more). Roasting at lower temperatures for longer periods of time breaks down the dense Chinese nut and fully releases the flavors in the nut. It also gives the nut a softer texture, more like an American or European chestnut. A Chinese chestnut that is cooked at 350F or above for short periods of time (30 minutes or less), will normally have a burnt or hard exterior and an almost uncooked interior. The flavor will not be well developed. Cooking Chinese chestnuts in this manner has led to the common belief in the US that Chinese nuts are inferior to American or European chestnuts. American and European chestnuts that are cooked at high temperatures for short periods or time will be mostly cooked and falling apart and the flavors will be well developed. Because Chinese chestnuts are much denser than American and European chestnuts, they benefit from slower more thorough cooking at lower temperatures. Their density also gives Chinese nuts greater versatility in cooking. For example, Chinese chestnuts can be used in many dishes such as soups and stews without falling apart.
To fully understand how the density of the nut impacts cooking, it may be helpful to compare cooking chestnuts to cooking beef. Different cuts of beef have different textures and densities. Tenderloin (so named because of the soft texture of the meat) is quite different than brisket. Tenderloin may be cooked at high temperatures for short periods of time. The result is beef that is soft and full of flavor. Brisket on the other hand is a much denser cut of meat. Cooking it at high temperatures for short periods of time will result in a burnt exterior and an uncooked interior. The meat will also be tough and difficult to chew. To properly cook brisket requires cooking for longer periods of time at lower temperatures to allow the heat to penetrate to the interior of the meat. This results in a much more flavorful brisket with a softer texture. Chinese chestnuts are the brisket of the chestnut world. They are exceptionally good eating when properly cooked.
Another benefit to cooking Chinese chestnuts at lower temperatures is that the shells do not need to be cut. In the US, chestnut shells are normally cut when nuts are to be roasted to allow heated water vapor to escape. If the shell is not cut, the expanding water vapor will cause the shell to explode. But when a Chinese chestnut is cooked at 240F or below, it will not normally explode because the buildup of water vapor is very slow and it can escape without exploding the shell. This also results in another benefit. When the shell is not cut, the cooked nut retains more moisture which results in a better texture for the nut. To some extent, not cutting the shell also results in a partial steaming of the nut. It’s simply a better way to cook Chinese chestnuts. Which brings up the point that Chinese chestnuts can also be cooked by boiling for at least 60 minutes. Boiling is not optimal for American or European chestnuts because the nuts tend to get very soggy and fall apart which also makes them difficult to peel. Because Chinese nuts are denser, they don’t absorb much water and tend not to fall apart after boiling, which also makes them as easy to peel after boiling as they are before boiling.
I seek others who are interested in establishing and running a mixed tree crop orchard in Colrain, Massachusetts together, using organic or regenerative methods.
I hope we will assemble a crew of competent orchardists that functions well together to manage orchard land in the Southeast part of the town of Colrain, in Western Massachusetts, USA. The crew would earn revenue from the orchard’s operation, after an orchard establishment period. Bank financing would enable pay during orchard establishment. A focus of the orchard business planning is assuring banks that they will be paid back, to ensure bank loans.
We could each specialize in a set of tree/perennial crops, thus complementing each other in managing this orchard well as a team. we might interplant shorter-lifespan crops between gradually-maturing tree crops: Strawberries, low-bush blueberries, bush cherries, christmas trees, hops vines, peaches and the like. These would bring in revenue before the main trees bear crops. I also aspire to inoculate planted tree crops with edible and/or useful mycorrhizal fungi, to benefit plants while yielding additional mushroom harvests.
I imagine a pick-your-own orchard that also functions to research and demonstrate methods, educating the public as well as other orchardists and potential orchardists about best practices, and working with nearby researchers of the University of Massachusetts Amherst to document successes and failures.
Here are a few possible sites:
- On some part of a 25 acre common lot, shared by Van Nuys Road lessees leasing from the Valley Community Land Trust (VCLT). I have a third interest in this common lot’s lease.
- On neighbors’ adjacent land to the north, next to the VCLT Van Nuys common lot – this neighbor has expressed interest.
- On almost-adjacent VCLT common land associated with a different set of lessees, on Shelburne Line Road - Some interest by one of those lessees has been expressed.
- On the land between the two VCLT common lots. These ~25 steep wooded acres are owned by a farming neighbor who raises cattle, which might graze beneath an orchard.
- On nearby land of a 160 acre farm, planned to be purchased by the VCLT in the next years.
I lease a VCLT houselot west of Van Nuys road, and, as part of this, share a third of a lease on a 25 acre common lot. As background, there are 3 two-acre individual houselot leaseholds on Van Nuys Road, as well as 25 unbuildable acres that are shared in common by the three lessees of the Van Nuys house lots. The land owner; Valley Community Land Tust - exists to steward land, and hold land apart from the speculative market, owned by the community; and to lease this land long-term; i.e. 99 year leases. The 25 acre VCLT Van Nuys common lot includes an aged sugar bush, some power line land, and much 'feral'/2nd growth forest with hickory, hemlock and such.
I built a greenhouse and toolshed on my leasehold’s two acres, am building an outdoor oven now, and plan to build a house there next year. I have about 85 2nd year chestnut seedlings potted now in the greenhouse, and am starting more. Forest crops, mycoforestry, perennial intercrops, nitrogen-fixing companions, and both groundcovers and overstory species interest me.
If these plans interest you, please send your resume and a letter describing the role you hope to fill, and the work you would like to do, to: Brian413cady@proton.me
Joseph Lofthouse wrote:I haven't tasted any of these pits.
I wonder if one cuts a sliver off of a kernel, then tastes the sliver, if one could detect sweet from cyanogenic/bitter pits, yet still sprout that pit.
I understand that carrots can store well in moist sand, but lemme check
I'm checking 'Root Cellaring' by Nancy and Mike Bubel, Garden Way Publishing, March 1995...
They write that carrots like cold and very moist storage conditions (32-40F, 90-95 % relative humidity), and that June-planted carrots store better than early-spring-planted ones. The Bubels store carrots in damp sawdust, with carrot layers separated by the sawdust. They say sand, peat moss, moss or leaves also protect stored carrots well. They address garden storage as well.
Pearl Bigelow wrote:Re: eucalyptus as firewood....about 50 years ago my family lived at the edge of about 30 acres of eucalyptus trees and we used the branches that blew down and various thinnings as firewood. My father later told me that when green it was some of the wettest and heaviest wood he had ever handled but it cut and split very easily. However, once it dried it was like trying to split a rock. Very hard and burned very hot. So be sure you work it up before it dries out.
Aren't there many, many Eucalyptus species? Each species might have different splitting properties, I imagine.
Carla, I hope someday to explore the 'Two-Can' TLUD stove, to see if I could make a bunch of them for folks living in the woods around here. Maybe I can, if I make one, show others how to.
First off, I recommend a search for a used down sleeping bag or two, to survive the cold in. I've used big plastic bag vapor barrier ( rule of thumb: Put VP on warm side) within a sleeping bag in very cold weather to great effect - I was waking up with cold feet, ankles and calves; with bag, woke up with warm toes. Warning - suffocation hazard.
Second, don't rocket stoves burn fast and clean? Don't TLUDs burn slow and almost as clean?
I imagine a two-can TLUD stove might be slowed down by covering its primary air intakes with a sheet metal band ( from another tin can or beer can?) that could be slid up and down to adjust primary intake air. Secondary air, always unrestricted, completes combustion.
I think TLUDs can be fueled with wood pellets, a cheap, easy fuel that could store in that ammo box and stay dry. Sawdust won't let through enough air to allow continued burning, I believe. Wood chips, dried, may be ideal, Or pine cones or pine dead branches, snapped off.
Here're two snippet videos, one sped up, of vibrating a test block form containing a very dry, thick refractory concrete mix using a recipricating saw and a blade with a hole drilled in it, screwed to the form, that, if not informative, might be amusing.
Graham Chiu wrote:If a Walker cabin stove lacks the push to drive under floor stove pipe circuits, then what about a stratification chamber under the floor? The ondol used a direct thermosiphon with the fire source below the floor level, and when used with coal briquettes when wood sources disappeared, was associated with significant deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning. So, maybe you need to seal the floor with modern materials rather than clay, and tiles.
Hi Graham, I saw an ondol described in Fine Homebuilding archives. Built in USA, in CA I think, it was covered with 4 inches of concrete. While this might be the easiest wat to get it inspected, I worry that such a large thermal mass addition creats an enormous 'thermal flywheel', so that one might need to predict heating needs and fire it 9-12 hours ahead of when heat is needed. I haven't calculated how much heat or cold could be stored in that design. I do plan to only burn wood, and I am not sure that concrete bests clay for air sealing. What modern material did you have in mind?
An advantage of Peltier (TEG) modules is that they bypass Carnot theorem efficiency limitations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnot_cycle so more useful power is potentially available, although 4% efficiency may be more limiting than even internal combustion engines.
Joylynn Hardesty wrote:So, I now have 10 gallons of chestnuts! Oh, what should I do?
Joylynn, I just hot-water-bath-treated about 50 lbs of chestnuts from two trees at a friends house. This is done to kill weevils without killing the chestnuts. One dunks the chestnuts in 120F water for 20 minutes. Here's information on this: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/biology-and-management-of-the-lesser-chestnut-weevil-in-michigan-chestnut-orchards I found a method to quickly restore the water to 120Farenheit after putting the cool chestnuts into the 120F water. I added from a kettle boiling water to raise the temperature back up, right after adding the chestnuts to the water bath. From a friendly supermarket I got 50 lb onion bags to hold the chestnuts while treating them.
I understand that I will be able to sprout these chestnuts over winter, for spring planting.
I understand that burnout fibers are used to provide, once burnt out, channels for steam to escape. Yet some fibers don't melt until above water boiling temperature. For example I have included polypropylene in refractory test blocks cast recently. Most polypropylene melts at 184 degrees Celcius.
I wonder if my test blocks will explode when fired, due to steam formation.
Maybe wheat or rice etc. noodles would degrade below boiling, or wax threads.
Nissa Gadbois wrote:I... I'm curious about all of the new biologics that are delivered by tablet. Those aren't broken down inside the body and so will be excreted in waste.
Nissa Gadbois, I'm curious: is there a source that supports that new biologics aren't broken down in our bodies? I don't actually know a whole lot about these.
I hope I can be a sounding board for folks thinking through changes like you, Chai, are going through. You, reader, are welcome to PM me through the website mail thingy, if interested in thinking aloud, getting to know each other, or dreaming together about how we can make our world better, if even only a little corner of it.
I'm 63, and am preparing to build, next spring, a little home in Colrain MA. I volunteer with the Green-Rainbow Party; the Massachusetts state affiliate of the Green Party of the US, and with the Valley Community Land Trust (vclt.org) and the Colrain Town Energy Committee, too. I hope to start an orchard featuring chestnuts ( I love them) with other tree-crops and perennial crops, on the 2 acre VCLT-owned leasehold here, and then maybe on VCLT common land - there's 25 rocky acres attached to the three leaseholds here on my road, and other possibilities.
ChatGPT AI on prostrate lupins for usda zones 4-6 and 1-1.5 m precip/year:
"1. Lupinus nanus (Sky Lupine): A low-growing, prostrate species native to California, it spreads along the ground and reaches only about 6-18 inches in height. This species typically thrives in open, sunny areas and blooms with blue and purple flowers.
USDA Zones: 4-6
Height: 6-18 inches (prostrate to low-growing)
Precipitation: Thrives in areas with moderate rainfall and good drainage.
Habitat: Common in open, sunny meadows and grasslands.
2. Lupinus perennis (Wild Lupine)
Lupinus perennis ssp. perennis var. occidentalis, commonly referred to as the Western Wild Lupine, typically grows to a height of around 12-24 inches (30-60 cm). It is considered a low-growing or spreading form of lupine, with a sprawling habit compared to its upright relatives.
This variety thrives in sandy or well-drained soils and is commonly found in dry, open areas, including meadows, prairies, and sandy soils near coasts. Its height can vary depending on growing conditions, but it generally stays relatively short compared to other lupine species.
USDA Zones: 3-7
Height: 12-24 inches (prostrate or sprawling in some varieties, like var. occidentalis)
Precipitation: Tolerates moderate rainfall, especially in sandy or well-drained soils.
Habitat: Prefers dry, sandy soils, often in open woodlands and prairies.
Lupinus argenteus (Silvery Lupine)
USDA Zones: 4-7
Height: 6-24 inches (can have a prostrate form depending on environmental conditions)
Precipitation: Tolerates 1-1.5 meters of precipitation, often found in subalpine and mountainous regions.
Habitat: Rocky soils and open slopes.
4. Lupinus arcticus (Arctic Lupine)
USDA Zones: 2-6
Height: 6-18 inches (can grow prostrate in harsh environments)
Precipitation: Adapted to areas with variable moisture, including higher precipitation zones.
Habitat: Subalpine, tundra, and boreal forests.
5. Lupinus lepidus (Prairie Lupine)
USDA Zones: 4-7
Height: 4-16 inches (prostrate and mat-forming in some conditions)
Precipitation: Thrives in dry to moderately moist soils, often found in meadows and open forests.
Habitat: Tolerant of poor soils and rocky outcrops.
These species tend to thrive in cooler climates and areas with moderate precipitation, making them good candidates for USDA zones 4-6 with the specified precipitation range. You might find certain regional or subspecies variations that further suit specific local conditions.
Lupinus polyphyllus (Bigleaf Lupine)
USDA Zones: 4-7
Height: While this species typically grows taller, some varieties or environmental conditions can lead to lower, more sprawling growth.
Precipitation: Tolerant of higher moisture, commonly found in moist meadows and along stream banks.
Habitat: Prefers moist, well-drained soils but can adapt to various conditions.
7. Lupinus nootkatensis (Nootka Lupine)
USDA Zones: 4-6
Height: Can grow from 12-24 inches with a sprawling form in tough environments.
Precipitation: Common in areas with high rainfall, including coastal regions.
Habitat: Found in moist soils, often near water sources, but can tolerate poor soil conditions.
8. Lupinus breweri (Brewer's Lupine)
USDA Zones: 4-6
Height: 4-10 inches (very low-growing, mat-forming lupine)
Precipitation: Adapted to moderately moist to dry conditions.
Habitat: Common in rocky or sandy soils in alpine and subalpine meadows.
9. Lupinus albifrons (Silver Bush Lupine)
USDA Zones: 4-7
Height: Typically low-growing and spreading, around 12-24 inches.
Precipitation: Well-suited to moderate rainfall but prefers well-drained soils.
Habitat: Found in dry, open habitats but can tolerate seasonal moisture.
These species have a range of adaptations for both precipitation and USDA zone tolerance, making them suitable for landscapes that experience cool to moderate climates with decent rainfall. Adaptation can vary within these species depending on local conditions and specific subspecies. For best results, it's a good idea to test local strains or check with native plant nurseries to ensure the right fit."
Anne Miller wrote:
... Buffalograss, Curly Mesquite, and Blue Grama. Planting these three together might work well.
Hi Anne,
While Buffalograss and Blue Grama would be hardy here, I expect that they're adapted to full sun and much less rainfall than the 1-1.2 meters (40-48") falling here in Colrain MA. Sounds like they'd do well in drier sites, or maybe on really sandy soils. Intriguing ideas - Thanks Anne,
That made me think about when a man came to our Massachusetts Green Party's Boston chapter meeting and talked about grass seed. He introduced Pearl's Premium, a mix of slow-growing, deep-rooted varieties of lawn grasses that he envisioned could reduce mowing, need no fertilizer or chemicals and stay greener longer. Here's a short, hokey intro video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19-5N1H9dDQ. and here's their website: https://www.pearlspremium.com
I hope to test Tom Wahl's seed mix and Pearl's Premium mix, as well as perennial lupins (L. perennis & L. polyphilus and any prostrate ones I can find), all under chestnuts, to see which works best for the trees, eases harvesting, and might be harvested (& ensiled?) as fodder.
How about just having less children? If we of earth, all of this generation, each brought to life, raised and parented just one child of our own, we could nearly halve future population. If the next two generations continued this, our human population might be an eighth of eight billion; just a billion, by ~2100. That would lighten humanity's load on the rest of earth. Of course there will be the profligate, but if most of us do this it would help.
Also, much of humanity's damage to Earth comes from a small affluent fraction of humanity spending on non-essentials. Many poor people are not doing much damage.
By each having just one biological child, we can pass on our culture, and have a reason to take care of the world we inhabit.
Greg B Smith wrote:Auto vent of some sort, fans, and shade cloth for the roof. Heat in summer is a much bigger deal than cold in winter. 90 to 100 deg days with 100 % humidity is the norm. You would think it would be raining at 100% humidity but on no. Lol. Heat in summer is a concern. I saw in another post where someone in Louisiana painted part of there roof with white paint to stop some of the heat so that may be an option.
I may should run the metal out a little further so the fish tank is shaded through spring summer and fall.
I'm north of MS, in Colrain, Western MA, where I think about shading the South glazed side of the home I will build with grape and kiwi vines during the hot months. In late Autumn I will prune them back, allowing in winter sunlight.
Fox James wrote:Brian, all the pro tables I have seen come with fully adjustable speed motors and the better ones have adjustable spring damping too.
Even the cheap ‘off set vibrating motors’ have adjustable speed, they are just not as well made or as fast.
A bit like a hammer drill verses a dentist drill…..
The issues with DIY is not having the experience to know how long and how fast to vibrate.
A wet mix of big grain concrete will behave completely differently to a dry mix of small grain refectory!
However, I think for the average practical guy, good results can be achieved by using pre mixed bags and following the instructions.
Fox James, I am grateful for your advice, so of course I won't follow it. This is because I want to use basalt fibers, and also because I have all the other ingredients for the binder, and the burnout fiber already (I do heed your advice on using the burnout fibers). I plan to buy grog (ground firebrick) as aggregate, and maybe sand as filler, too, if the grog is all very course with no fines.
For vibration, I plan to use both a hammer-drill, with a bolt or rod or such in the chuck; and a reciprocating saw, attached by drilling through and bolting an old blade to the form. Each of these has some variable speeds available.
I hope to video-record the process, with an introduction, for what it is worth. I'll make a batch of test bricks first, and hope to heat some, then test breaking strength of all.
Fox James wrote:In short, to answer your question…. A few air bubbles won't compromise the piece too much if it is cured properly but, how many internal bubbles, is impossible to guess.
I have already written a fair bit about casting refractory, vibrating the mix is a very important and often a critical factor.
The difference when using a high frequency concrete vibrator or a ‘compromising’ method is ten fold!
Any internal bubbles left in the wet mix can hold moisture, those tiny pockets of air can form steam and that expands to form cracks. ( dramatic if not cured properly)
That is why some manufactures add burn out fibers this allow micro channels to form when heated above 140c as this (in theory) will allow steam to escape.
A few air bubbles should be ok and they do tend to form around the sides of the mold so the main body might be fine.
For many years I owned and used a proper vibrating table, it was a very expensive investment but after around 10 years of use it was beyond further repair. At that stage I bought an offset vibrating motor and made my own table but it was not even close to producing components of the same quality as my purpose made professional one.
However it does work to a fashion……
When a mold is placed a a steel bed, high frequency vibrating table, it will settle the mix in seconds, forcing the mix to tightly form a dense, void free component.
My more basic home made table takes ages before the air stops rising and never gets all the air out!...
How do proper vibrating tables vibrate differently than a sawzall strapped to plywood atop a tire? Are they vibrating at a different frequency? Or with more amplitude? Maybe we can figure this out, and make better castings without paying so much money. How about through-bolting and epoxying a sawzall blade to plywood, then attaching the sawzall to the blade?
I found this, below, here: VIBCO concrete vibrator catalog: (http://www.vibco.com/docs/industry-catalogs/concrete-vibrators-handbook-and-catalog.pdf)
"III. WHICH MODEL AND SIZE VIBRATOR TO CHOOSE?
A. First determine how much vibration force is needed for the complete form. Add form weight to concrete weight
with the following adjustments. It is important to know what slump concrete is used.
a. For concrete with 0” slump or dry concrete, add 200% to the weight of form plus concrete to get the vibration
force needed.
b. For 1” to 2” slump, add 75% to form and concrete weight to get total force needed.
c. For concrete with a 3” to 5” slump – standard for all over the road delivered concrete trucks – use vibrator force
same as the form plus concrete weight.
B. Placement of vibrators - Vibration force travels in a 3’ to 4’ radius from the vibrator on steel forms. It dissipates rapidly
thereafter. Place vibrators in a pattern so that vibration forces overlap slightly. The corners are usually very stiff, so place
vibrators close to the corners on a 2.5’ to 3’ radius.
C. Penetration - Vibration force penetrates concrete up to 6” to 8” depending on slump. Concrete is thicker than 8”,
vibrators (staggered) are needed on both sides of the form.
D. How many vibrators are needed? Make a layout of your form and place vibrators on 6’ to 8’ centers (vibration
travels a 3’ to 4’ radius). On corners, place vibrators on 5’ to 6’ center (2.5 to 3’ radius). Once you have laid out the
vibrator pattern and you know how many you need, divide the numbers of vibrators into the total weight of form and
concrete (see paragraph one). The sum is the VIBRATION FORCE needed on the vibrator...
<snip>
F. Vibration procedure and vibration time.
1. Vibration Procedure: Place vibrators to be used in their lowest position. It’s a good idea to pre-mark the vibrator
position. Do not start vibrators until the concrete reaches them or is no more than 6” above them.
TIP:
If internal vibrators are used, do not start the external ones until the internals have stopped or moved to a higher position. The reason for this
is, internal vibrators throw air bubbles away from the vibrator head against form side leaving air holes and pockets on the surface. External
vibrators throw air bubbles into the mix, up and out, leaving surface against form smooth and blemish free.
2. How long to vibrate? Some experimentation on the customer’s part is always necessary because the time you need
to vibrate varies depending on concrete slump, additives, stiffness of form, vibrator force, etc.Do not start the lowest vibrator until the concrete reaches them or is no more than 6” above. The concrete stiffens the form and if vibrated earlier,
the vibration might move the form, making it flex, promoting leaks and seepage.
a. If there is only one vibrator on the side of the form, keep it vibrating until the form is full and no more air bubbles
are breaking on the top of the concrete and a glistening surface appears.
b. If there are multiple vibrators per side, keep the lower vibrator running until the concrete pour reaches the higher
vibrator – then stop the lower one, start the higher one and let it vibrate until the pour is complete and no more
bubbles break on the surface of the concrete and a glistening surface appears.
G. Helpful hints and corrections after you strip the form (please see page 27 under septic tanks).
H. Additional Tips
1. Metal forms transmit vibration far more effectively than wood forms.
2. Always stiffen up forms to avoid distortion and flutter and for best vibration transmittal to concrete.
3. Rest forms on wood beams or rubber mats to avoid vibration transmittal to floor and surrounding forms, as well as for
quiet operation and increased vibration amplitude and uniform compaction.
4. Vibration time depends on height and structure of form. Vibrators should be operated until a flat, glistening surface
appears and no more air bubbles burst on the surface.
5. Concrete of proper consistency is not susceptible to over vibration and segregation. If segregating occurs, reduce
slump, not vibration time and tighten form joint.
Our experience has been to see “under-vibration” rather than “over-vibration” due to too short vibration time or force, to get a
homogenous, air-bubble-free mix."
This reminded me of a presentation years ago by Jackson Madnick, a member of: https://www.pearlspremium.com/ . The presenter explained that the grasses and plants in this mix establish very slowly, discouraging the unknowing; grow slowly, thus needing less mowing, and withstand drought and hardship well, with their deep roots.
I wonder if Pearl's premium or similar slow-growing groundcover mixs would partner well with the chestnut trees that fascinate me. And since chestnuts tolerate acid soils well, perhaps an acid-tolerate low-growing N-fixing and P-accessing lupin would compliment chestnuts well.
I made a grapefruit marmalade that was popular among family and friends.
I juiced the fruit, then from the rinds and all removed seeds with a spoon, then sliced thinly with a knife on a cutting board, then boiled with a dash of baking soda some water, and the sugar. I've lost that recipe, found on the internet.
Recently I made tangerine marmalade similarly, except I blended the peel and all, but there's no bitter note, which is missed.
Kristine Keeney wrote:Since I'm here and have geese, I'll guess at the answer to your question (not that I have tested my soil pre and post goose "processing" ).
Since birds all poop the same basic way, and geese graze and poop a lot - think feathered sheep or small feathered cows - large quantities of mostly processed vegetative matter with uric acid mixed in.
I'm betting she was referencing the uric acid as being the "lime" component in the goose equation.
And she's right. Goose poop is better than chicken poop because it's not as concentrated. There's a lot of it and geese will spread it as they go. It washes away in rain and, unless you have your geese confined and don't clean up after them, it's not that noxious. A good watering of some sort will wash it into the soil.
Two Questions:
- Since all the goose poops out comes in from the same spot so that there's no external alkalinity source, how does this increase soil pH?
- Isn't uric acid an acid, not a base?
